…In-N-Out.

In honor of Los Angeles’ Burger Week 2015, it seems appropriate to share my most recent new burger experience: In-N-Out. Being a born-and-raised East Coast girl, I never had the pleasure of taste testing this iconic fast food spot until I moved to L.A. in January. It look me 3 months to finally brave the long lines. But I did, and here’s the verdict.

In-N-Out’s burgers are a burger classic. You can order them plain or with cheese, and they come with a tomato and lettuce. You also have the option of adding or not adding raw onions. They top the burgers with their special sauce, a blend of deliciousness that requires you to leave that white wrapper on as you dig in unless you want a serious mess on your hands, literally.

You can also order the secret-not-so-secret animal-style topping that includes pickles, extra sauce, grilled onions, and mustard fried onto each patty. I decided to skip the extra sloppiness as I can usually spill food all over myself on my own without the added help thank you very much and ordered a cheeseburger with the onion and some fries to go with it. The calories are fortunately (or unfortunately?) displayed on their menu which prompted a sad “good thing I skipped breakfast”.

There’s no doubt in saying that this is a pretty great burger as far as fast food goes. I haven’t actually eaten a burger from McDonald’s or Burger King in at least 10 years, so while I can’t really compare, my memory will tell you that In-N-Out is by far superior. However, I think I’m still a bigger fan of Shake Shack’s burgers and McDonald’s french fries. Not that I didn’t enjoy my lunch, but there’s something about a Shake Shack burger that I really love. And I’m pretty sure they sprinkle addictive flakes onto every McDonald’s fry that was ever fried.

So In-N-Out is not the absolute winner in my book, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want one…right now. If you’ve never tried it before you should absolutely make a stop next time you’re within close vicinity. Be prepared for a line, but rest assured you’ll leave happily satisfied.

The great part about your post-In-N-Out-experience is that you won’t get that #omgimdisgusting #ifeellikeiateasmallchild #worstheartburnever classic feeling that typical fast food seems to leave you with (or maybe it’s just me and that’s why I never eat it). Unless of course you’re ordering the slightly-not-so-secret 4 x 4 or 20 x 20 (are these even real? how can you possibly eat 20 burgers in one sitting?). In-N-Out also prides itself on using fresh ingredients every day (win!), which is why they will likely never expand much further across the US. All of their locations are within an appropriate driving distance of their distribution center so that they can maintain this practice. So next time you’re in town, get it while you can!

What’s your take on In-N-Out Burgers? Do you love them, hate them, or haven’t tried them before?